The fans at the stadium today were roasting in the hot sun. The intense heat made it hard for players relying on strength or speed to shine. On the other hand, it provided perfect conditions for the more technical players. The following players had been selected: Stjärnell - Koskenoja, Baleda, Alapirtti - Bogdanoff, Saarentaus, Eisold, Verstraete, Keisanen - Esnazabal, Lehtoaho.

They fielded: Vadalà - Lunde, Jeftić - Chuan Yong, Mohammad Harun, Xin Lee, ter Berg, Dong Chu - Mudaliar, Ze Han, Egan.

Brändökungarna started the game in a 3-5-2 formation, whereas Grilled Birds lined up in a 2-5-3. Some quick footwork on the left side of the field 3 minutes into the match left Grilled's Bernie Egan completely free to score. 0 - 1 for the visitors. Grilled already had the lead, so Chan Ze Han probably won't be too disappointed that his speculative shot from the right 11 minutes in fell wide of the goal. After the ball was lifted in from the left, Heng Dong Chu was on his own in the home side's penalty area and should have scored after 25 minutes, but missed, probably due to lack of concentration. Grilled's Bilal Mohammad Harun soared above the crowd, but couldn't knock home the corner 27 minutes into the match. Despite the fact that he was falling backwards, Heng Dong Chu still managed to send an excellent header goalwards. The crossbar is the keeper's best friend though, and the ball bounced harmlessly out of play. Grilled came close to extending their lead as Bilal Mohammad Harun delivered a low effort on goal from the right but the angle was too sharp, and the shot was destined for the side netting. A surprising free kick routine after 35 minutes nearly resulted in another goal for the visitors, but the strikers were too eager and were caught offside. It was 0 - 1 at the break. Grilled did a good job holding on to the ball, with 58 percent of possession. We'll be back after these interminable commercial messages.

After 59 minutes a combination in the middle resulted in a through ball for Bernie Egan who increased Grilled's lead to 0 - 2. Grilled's Kalle ter Berg made it through the home team's defense on the right hand side 69 minutes into the match. After rounding the keeper, he only had to place the ball in the unguarded net when a defender slid in and cleared the ball off the line. Brändökungarna's Miikka Lehtoaho managed a superb strike from the left after 70 minutes that would have left goalkeeper Manuel Vadalà without a chance, had it not hit the post. The home fans looked somber as they watched their team give up another goal, this one coming from their right as Heng Dong Chu put one through the keeper's legs. 0 - 3 after 72 minutes. The home side worked hard to get through the middle and as a result, had a good chance of getting one back as Tuomas Bogdanoff tried lifting the ball over keeper Manuel Vadalà. Unfortunately, the ball went just over the bar. Brändökungarna didn't give an inch and after 77 minutes Urtzi Esnazabal was able to put the 1 - 3 goal away after a fine individual play on the right. After 80 minutes, the Grilled coach wanted to see a new face on the field, waving Vikram Mudaliar off. Kalki Parvathaneni took his place. As the 85 minute mark approached, the Grilled manager decided it was time for a substitution. Chu Xin Lee reluctantly made way for 吴 (Wu) 敬龙 (Jinglong). The fourth official announced that there would be 1 minutes of stoppage time, giving fans a slim hope that their team could get one more attack in before this was all over. The match ends 1 - 3. Well, look at this! Cardi B is on the Enormotron in naught but giant sunglasses, red tassles, and a Holy Hand Grenades of Antioch tank top. I've not seen anything like it before. Brändökungarna's best player was Anssi Keisanen. I can't remember Petri Alapirtti ever having a worse night than he just had. Most important Grilled player was Chan Ze Han. Even six year old fans were wincing at the poor play by Manuel Vadalà today.